This will not be a detailed technical review, rather my impressions (from memory as I did not take notes) of the shows at Charleston last evening.

First of all, I was quite happy that the rain decided to quit before the show started. I had picked up my daughter in Huntington (45 miles west) and it was pouring heavily. Fortunately, she texted someone who was already at the stadium and they said it was clearing up, so we decided to go.

We arrived just as Teal Sound was beginning their program entitled "In the Presence of Enemies". (Note: This was their 2nd show of the season). My daughter was excited they included "The Running Free" by Coheed and Cambria in their program. They have taken on some ambitious drill which needs a lot of cleaning The misuical program was enjoyable, but they lack the power to really push the dynamics. The guard was average in execution, but I felt they weren't used effectively enough in the overall design of the show. I don't recall much about the drumline (I tend to focus most on the brass, sorry). Overall a nice program with lots of room for improvement. Score of 63.3 seemed about right.

Spirit was next with their program entitled "Forging an Icon". (Note: This was their 2nd show of the season). We liked the concept of the props (cogs and gears in "sail"-like designs on poles, guard swinging golden sledge hammers using step ladders at times for anvils, etc.) but wished they did more to integrate it into a finished icon (a la the name of the program). The brass and drums seemed to form a large "A" (Atlanta?) as the "icon" near the end. Much bigger sound than Teal. Guard was in general much more active all over the field. Drums had a nice feature and were integrated well with the brass in the drill. Score of 67.0 seemed about right also. They should be solidly in the 10-16 ranked corps at the end.

Next up were Glassmen with their program entitled "The Prayer Circle". (Note: This was their 2010 season debut.) Immediately you could sense they were several notches ahead of Spirit. In my opinion, this is one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen from Glassmen in several years. The music is wonderful, the drill and color guard work is beautiful and complements the music excellently. They have a solid sound and are moving a fair amount of the time. I could see them fighting in the 10-12 range or higher when its all over. Their score of 70.3 seemed a bit low... I would've scored around 71.0.

After the intermission, Carolina Crown came on next with their program entitled "A Second Chance". (Note: This was their 4th show of the season.) Wow!! This is the complete package and should be competing for the championship in August!. Every year this corps seems to get better. This might be the breakthrough season for them. The visual of the show is fantastic! Brass is awesome. Drumline is tight and solid. Guard really add to the enjoyment of the program! Their score of 76.6 seems about right. Clearly the best on the field this night but not running away with it either. [The show ended quite abruptly, but someone mentioned elsewhere that the ending drill wasn't finished or at least not ready for performance yet.]

Cadets followed with their program "Toy Soldier". (Note: This was also their 4th show of the season.) As usual, the Cadets execute the heck out of their program! It's difficult to pinpoint why (slightly too much whimsey, perhaps?), but I definitely ranked them below Crown at this point, albeit within striking distance as the score of 75.8 reflected. The herald trumpets in the beginning were a nice appropriate touch. The guard, as always, is well integrated into the show. The drumline really kicked it!! I liked towards the second half of the show when the brass and drums remove their shakos and placed them on the field, then proceed to maneuver all around the blocks of plumage, sometimes at a very rapid pace. The winding down and cranking back up of the "soldiers" was cute the first time, less so the second time. Overall a very solid program to build on. They'll be in the running for sure, but Crown has a step on them at the moment.

Bluecoats were next with their program entitled "Metropolis: The Future is Now". (Note: This was their 2010 season debut.) What an excellent program. My daughter and I both loved the music including works by Imogen Heap, Ennio Morricone, and Hans Zimmer. The guard (most sporting mohawks and/or long ponytails!) were active and integral to the flow of the program. I love the visual of the brass and drums uniforms, not just the stunning blue front but especially when they turn backfield to show all black at times - very effective! For coming out of the shute, a score of 73.6 is not bad. Should be Top 6 caliber when its all over.

Phantom Regiment finished the evening with their program entitled "Into the Light". (Note: This was their 2010 season debut.) A gorgeous visual with lavender guard and all white corps. Their sound is as rich as ever (low brass rocks - although Crown is now their equal). Drumline was rock solid and have a nice feature. Like Bluecoats, a score of 73.5 for the first time is not bad. Could have been ahead of Bluecoats, but they were very close. Should also be Top 6 caliber when its all over. [We had to leave immediately after the show, so I missed PR's encore and the scores announcement.]

It will be interesting to see how the top four from tonight stack up against Blue Devils, Cavies, and Vanguard... and anybody else who "shows up for the party" so to speak.

Sorry this isn't more in depth and detailed. But it's what I could remember from a very enjoyable, late "Father's Day" outing with my daughter.

There's just more detail, speed, and power in Crown's program as opposed to the Cadets (You're breaking my heart. ). Crown's field coverage is great, and even though their uniforms are UUUUUUGLY up close, they work on the field. The Cadets are slow in comparison to previous years. Their drum feature is rockin', but a line just standing around and grooving doesn't get it anymore. Concerning their theme, wouldn't it have been cool if the little boy was Jim Ott, and he turned those soldiers into a swingin' drum corps? (Aside: I was watching '75 Cadets and '80 Spirit when this idea popped in my head!)

I was wondering if anyone likes the preshows for the Triple Cs this year...I'm not fond of any of them.

Re: The Cavies... They might be dirty right now, but their show is going to catch up. It's got some teeth. It has lots of difficulty that is just not being executed. Watch it; it's going to happen.